


Comfort Object

by The_Secret_Life_Of_Tea



Series: Family [2]
Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Autistic Character, Autistic!Bart, Other, Queerplatonic relationship, i love these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 13:44:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12366999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Secret_Life_Of_Tea/pseuds/The_Secret_Life_Of_Tea
Summary: Ken needs something-- it turns out, so does Bart.





	Comfort Object

**Author's Note:**

> WHOOPS SORRY WAS GONNA WRITE FLUFF TO CALM DOWN THIS FANDOM BUT THIS CAME OUT.

Bart doesn’t understand.

When Ken smiles when there are tears running down his cheeks. 

When Ken’s breath comes in harsh groans and he can’t stop hyperventilating. 

When Ken stutters and stammers out words that don’t even half make sense, when he panics, when he thinks something, something, something is off in a way that he can’t put his finger on…

She doesn’t understand, because she pours her faith into the universe, and it responds in kind. She is transactional-- she has a deal with the universe and the moment it backs out is the moment she burns it to the ground. 

But one night, when even the stars are blacked out, and Ken curls into himself, hugging his arms to his chest as tight as he can, Bart gets it.

She winds her arms around him and the shaking stops. It’s odd to be this close to a living, breathing person. Touch-starved as she is, it feels like sunshine on her bare skin, or warm water raining down on her back, or the ways the moonlight and the wolves sing together. There’s something about this, though, that feels even more natural than nature itself. 

She waits until he stops crying, gives him one more squeeze, and leaves to greet the moon.

\---

The next day, when the sun rises, she takes the driver’s seat. 

“We’re gonna go somewhere,” she says, and Ken looks a little doubtful, but lets her drive them out into the city, the wheel gripped tight in her hands and her feet kicking from excitement. Everything she feels is so much, Ken thinks, and he grins at her wiggling.

She pulls up to a toy shop. Ken glances over at her. “Is this… is this the surprise? A toy store?”

She huffs, because sometimes he’s two steps behind her, and her head goes so fast sometimes that he needs to sprint to catch up. “C’mon,” she grunts, and grabs his hand in hers. 

Leading him in, she ignores everything in the store, single-minded with a determined scowl on her face. He’d laugh if he wasn’t so endeared. This is his… what is she? Not a lover, no. But not quite a friend. A bit more… he’ll have to do some research, he decides as she drags him along. When they’re in front of a display of plush bears, she turns to him expectantly. 

“Pick one.”

“Uh… okay, sure,” he shrugs, picking up a brown bear with a bow tie. “This one?”

“No,” she growls. “Keep going.”

It takes about fifteen minutes, but eventually he picks one up. It’s an adorably pudgy sort of bear, wearing a little sweater vest, and Bart’s eyes gleam. “D’ya like him? Huh?!” She’s bouncing on her toes, hands fluttering at him. Ken gives a confused smile. 

“Yeah, sure, I like him. But what’s he for?”

She stops dead. “You… he’s for hugging, dummy! Don’tcha know what bears are for? They’re for HUGGING!” People are starting to stare, but Bart doesn't notice. 

“See, Ken… what if… what if I’m not around to hug you anymore? What if you get all twitchy and scared like you do, and I’m not there, and… just take the stupid bear,” she says, voice cracking. “Take him, okay?”

Ken gapes at her, shakes his head, smiles. He’s got that water in his eyes again, though, and Bart’s back to not understanding. She shakes him by the shoulders, furious. “What do you mean? I… I can’t figure out your face, I don’t--” 

He silences her by picking up another bear, this one soft as anything and black. He presses it into her hands, gentle but insistent. “Listen, Bart. I’m not going anywhere. But if it makes you feel better, then you have a bear, too. Have you ever-- have you ever had one?”

She shakes her head, touching the bear in quiet awe. “He’s so… soft.”

Ken nods. “Now, even though we both aren’t going anywhere, it's good to have a friend to hug.”

Bart reaches up and holds on, the bears pressed between them.

\---

Later.

The bear is ragged, now, mats in his fur and sweater vest muddy. She clutches onto it at night and rocks, face settled into the earthy fur.

She understands, now, his uncertainty. 

She understands, and it hurts.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm at dashing-hyphen.tumblr.com if you'd like to prompt me or talk!


End file.
